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Lesson 747: Quinceañera Lesson 3

This is the 3rd lesson in the Quinceañera Preparation Program. This lesson is part two of our overview of the Catholic Faith. In this lesson, we will continue to discuss some of the basic, but very important aspects of our Catholic Faith. You will learn the importance of prayer and living a moral life, as well as the essence and significance of the Holy Mass.

Preview of Lesson 747: Quinceañera Lesson 3

The Last Supper, Juan de Juanes

Morality

The Christian Faith is more than a positive attitude towards God; it is a commitment to action in imitation of Christ. Our actions must reflect our love for God, Who invites us to share in His own life. If we accept this invitation, the Holy Spirit guides us in living a Christlike life. Living in Christ means partaking in God’s own life. When we seek what is good, we seek Christ Himself, Who encourages us to live according to His Will and example of moral perfection.

As we discussed in the first lesson, our ultimate end is to be perfectly happy with God in Heaven. Each of us can get there with God’s grace. Scripture tells us that we were made in God’s image and likeness (we call this imago Dei). For this reason, we must work toward moral goodness, and also trust that the One Who created us, also provides us with the means to achieve this.

Morality is important because it helps us achieve the perfect happiness we desire and were created for. When we deliberately choose to do what is morally good, we reflect God and say yes to His loving initiative. Furthermore, our moral actions influence where we spend our eternity, that is, either in Heaven or in hell. That is why it’s important to form our consciences and always choose the good.

God has given us freedom, and without this freedom we cannot talk meaningfully about morality. This gift from God allows us to become who God created us to be, which happens when we continuously cooperate with His plan for us. Although many people think of it as permission to do what we want, human freedom is actually the ability to freely say “yes” to God. The Christian life is all about this positive respond to God’s initiative.

The Christian moral life seeks the practice and cultivation of virtues. Virtues can be classified into two groups: human or moral virtues, and theological virtues. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a virtue is “a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself.” The more we grow in virtue, the happier we will be. When we choose the good, we choose God, Who is the Source of happiness.

Human Virtues instill in us the habits that help us avoid sin and behave morally. Among the human virtues are compassion, honesty, self-discipline, friendship, faithfulness, and courage. All the virtues are related to one of what we refer to as Cardinal Virtues. The four cardinal vi... Please purchase this lesson to continue learning.